President Donald Trump declared Monday that his established Tuesday deadline for Iran to reach an agreement will not be extended, despite describing Tehran’s recent peace offer as meaningful but insufficient.
The president has threatened extensive strikes against Iranian infrastructure should his Tuesday evening ultimatum pass without resolution. Iranian officials have dismissed Trump’s imposed timeframe.
Speaking to media during a White House Easter egg celebration on the South Lawn, Trump commented on Iran’s diplomatic efforts. “They made a proposal, and it’s a significant proposal. It’s a significant step. It’s not good enough,” the president stated.
Trump expressed optimism about a swift resolution, telling reporters: “It could end very quickly, the war, if they do what they have to do. They have to do certain things. They know that, they’ve been negotiating I think in good faith.”
Administration officials have been conducting indirect discussions with Iran through Pakistani intermediaries, seeking an agreement where Iran would abandon nuclear weapons development and reopen the Strait of Hormuz shipping channel. Iranian negotiators have indicated they seek a permanent conflict resolution rather than a temporary halt to hostilities.
The president characterized Iran’s current negotiating team as less extreme than previous representatives who were eliminated in military strikes. “We think they’re actually smarter,” Trump observed, noting they appear “not as radicalized” compared to their predecessors.
Regarding Iran’s petroleum resources, Trump suggested he would prefer American control of Iranian oil reserves, though he acknowledged such action would likely lack public support domestically.
